Project Summary/Abstract ? Developmental Core The Developmental Core/Core B provides financial and mentoring resources to support emerging and innovative work within the CFAR, with special emphasis on minority, female, junior, and international investigators. The Core director is Dr. Kathleen MacQueen and the associate director is Dr. Adaora Adimora. The Core also includes a Mentoring Advisory Committee chaired by Dr. Adimora that provides guidance for strengthening our mentoring program. The Core is responsible for a Developmental grants program and facilitating mentoring of junior HIV investigators (Awardees, Administrative Supplement PIs, new UNC faculty, NC HBCU faculty, and new researchers at FHI 360 and RTI). The Core will work with the CFAR membership to identify promising new investigators, priority research areas, and strong mentors. The Core will use a variety of mechanisms, such as webinars, to reach out to the CFAR community, (including NC HBCUs and collaborating international sites), to solicit Developmental applications, to explain the proposal application and review process, to build awareness around NIH and ethics requirements, and to support Awardees and mentors. Developmental application evaluation will mimic the NIH R21 review process, with feedback to applicants on proposal strengths and weaknesses. The Core will identify and support mentors for awardees, to ensure progress toward independent investigator status. The work of the Core will be guided by consultation with the Core Directors, the Mentoring Advisory Committee, surveys of the CFAR membership, an Internal Advisory Board, an External Advisory Board, and through discussions at CFAR Core Director meetings and retreats.